afar turned out to be a jagged, vertical maze. I try the eastern side, but the ledge narrows, the ground falls away and the cliffs grow higher. We trace the base of the buttress, looking for an acceptable climb. Holding tiny shrubs and digging finger holes for grip, we ease ourselves up onto the knife’s edge. Boulders bigger than houses are stacked on top of each other.
We reach countless dead ends, cliffs above and below us. We inch along a one foot ledge and crawl into a small cave. Inside we find a stone fireplace. We squeeze through a crack and discover an exit ramp to the saddle. At one point, having no alternative but defeat, I resort to a free climb. It isn't difficult, but it’s somewhere I would prefer not to fall. It is never bad enough to turn around, but in a few places I consider it. In these moments, I remind myself that there is a difference between fear and acceptable risk. A simple guideline keeps me out of trouble – can you retreat if this becomes a dead end?
When we reach the infamous ledge at Point Repulse, I glide across without hesitating. I am surprised that this is the feature people speak about and are afraid of.
I am scratched and weary as we bushbash across the top of Mount Solitary. Brendan is still keen to complete a south-north traverse, so I banish the thought of a shortcut down the eastern col to the car. Neither of us has done the Miners Pass before. Fire, wind and storms have disfigured the route, so it takes us a couple of hours to navigate the first few
Korrowall Buttress rising from the mist to Point Repulse (centre)
Bushwalk
